I'll Be Home For Christmas
by 4thFromTheFurnace
Summary: Cloud promised he'd be home for Christmas, but he runs late again.


**Just a little cheesy Christmas fic I scrounged up off the floor inside my head. Hope it's not too cheesy...oh what am I saying? There's a reason I'm called the Cheeseball! Enjoy!**

She really had to stop staring at that clock. It just made it worse. Somehow, she managed to yank her head away from the clock's enchanting gaze, trying to focus on finishing the dishes. It didn't matter that it was Christmas Day. All of the bunches of jerks imaginable still came in wanting drinks. All she could do was wonder where their families were. Speaking of which, she didn't want to admit it, but she knew that hers was almost falling apart. The only family she had was unraveling thread by thread. She seriously had to close this stupid shop down. What a life.

His delivery service didn't exactly bring in the bacon, and whatever bacon it brought, she hardly ever saw it. She had promised herself that she'd shut this place down a long time ago. Now she realized that she could only shut it down when she had a family again. Otherwise, she would be one of those women whose families were celebrating every day they saw something to eat.

She didn't want to be that way. Saving the world from diabolical pompous windbags didn't exactly bring a big paycheck. Even if it did, that paycheck wouldn't go to her. Somehow this was the only kind of thing that she could make money on without disrespecting herself and her family. Maybe this WAS disrespecting herself and them as well, she wasn't so sure anymore.

She felt as if all she could do was continue to stare at the clock and wait. When the phone rang, she nearly jumped, jogging to the phone and answering, "Hello?"

With disappointment in her voice, she greeted the person on the other line, "Oh, hey Yuffie."

She paused, "Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too."

She sighed, "No, nothing's wrong."

She shook her head, "Thanks, Yuffie, but I gotta go, Merry Christmas. Bye."

She hung up the phone and decided to stare at it for a few moments, as if it would suddenly come alive with a ring like a sounding trumpet. She silently promised herself that she wouldn't call him this time. She replayed his last words to her over and over in her head: "Yeah, I'll call you soon, bye."

It was only ten o'clock. There was still time. Both Marlene and Denzel were in bed already and fast asleep. They missed him too. It hadn't even been a year since the rebirth of Sephiroth, and in the beginning, Cloud was home all the time. However, the more often he got calls for his delivery service, the more he began drifting away.

It had been days since she last heard from him, but she knew that, even though Cloud could be a loner, he also had a very deep tender heart under all that blasted armor. She knew that he acknowledged them as his family. She knew by the look in his eyes that day that he didn't want to leave and be alone again. Even though he kept doing it, she knew he never wanted to be alone.

Cloud Strife, one of the strangest creatures on the face of the planet, tended to isolate himself even though he really didn't want to be alone. She knew that he wouldn't miss Christmas. There was no way.

Even he would want to be home for Christmas. She knew he would. Both Denzel and Marlene refused to open their Christmas presents until Cloud came home and fell asleep by the window. She had put them both to bed and was barely able to resist taking their place at the window.

Now that she was washing the dishes, staring out the window was something that was extremely difficult to pass up. The dishes could wait for now. She rose to her feet and walked over to the window, leaning against the windowpane. Maybe, just maybe, if she waited her long enough, she would hear the roar of his black dog in the distance. Maybe not. The only thing that went through her mind was something that Cloud had not said, but it was like she could see him say it.

---

"I'll be home for Christmas, Tifa, I promise." Cloud adjusted the goggles on his face, hoping that at least that promise would ring true. He revved Fenrir and sped off as fast as he could with the traffic. It was late. He had to make it. He hated himself for always running from the only family he knew. He had to make it home, at least this one time.

When traffic stopped in an unexpected traffic jam, Cloud sighed in exasperation. Man, it was so late. He had to make it this time. There had been too many times that he had been too late, he was tired of it. His blonde eyebrows wrinkled under his disheveled softly-spiked hair, "Please, don't give up on me."

---

Tifa took two clean plates out of the cupboard and set them on the small table that the old men usually played chess or checkers on. She polished two wine glasses and set them up with a bottle of some mix between Root Beer and Ginger Ale. Okay, so maybe Cloud would be late, but knowing him, he probably didn't eat either. Maybe she could at least get him to have Christmas dinner with her before he took off again.

Now, she would wait a bit, considering that he would probably at least be another hour if he came at all, before she would try to fix dinner. For now, she would just sit at the table and wait. Luckily, the table was located beside a window. It was almost amusing, window-watching had become a hobby of hers, and of the kids' as well. It was also kind of pathetic, but she didn't care anymore.

Cloud would be there, she knew he would. Even if he was a bit late, he always came. She remembered when he said that he felt lighter. He had the strangest timing. She couldn't help but smile when he tried to joke about dilly-dallying. It always felt so warm when he was happy enough that he would try to make a joke, even if it wasn't in good taste. She knew why he felt lighter. He had learned that he had been forgiven and finally came to forgive himself.

She knew that whatever happened, she would never be alone, even if it felt that way. Tifa closed her eyes. It wouldn't be long now.

---

Fenrir's growl ceased as Cloud dismounted his ride. He shook his blonde hair from his face to look at the sky. Everything was so bright, even in the dead, dark dreariness of the night. It seemed so peaceful. Maybe everything would be fine after all.

Cloud slowly trudged up to the door that he had seen so many times. He stood there for a few moments, debating on whether or not he should open it, almost afraid of what he'd find. His cyan blue eyes fixed on the doorknob, he slowly turned it and creaked the door open as quietly as he could without hitting the bell at the top of the doorway. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

To be honest, he was almost glad that no one was...up. His eyes met a figure at a lonely candlelit table in the corner. Hesitantly, he walked up to the table, finally recognizing the figure bent over the table. Her dark hair was spilled over her face and her shoulders, her eyes were closed, basking in a badly-needed slumber.

He stood there for a few moments, wondering if he should wake her up or let her sleep. The candle on the table dripped wax onto the tablecloth. She had been waiting for him. He judged by the empty plates that she knew he was hungry. Right now, though, he would just let her sleep a little while. He slowly walked upstairs and headed to check on Marlene and Denzel.

He found them each sleeping in their beds, Denzel with his hand on a telephone and Marlene clutching her stuffed animal. Cloud adjusted the covers on each of them as best as an unsociable swordsman could. With that, he walked back downstairs, noticing a pile of wrapped boxes in the corner, still unopened. Slowly he approached them and crouched to check the name tags. Most were addressed to Marlene and Denzel, some were addressed to Yuffie, Cid, and even Vincent, along with a couple others. There was one, though, tucked in the corner, that Cloud found, addressed to him. He observed the box for a few minutes, trying to figure out who in the world would get HIM something. But even as he searched, he couldn't find one Christmas present for Tifa.

"You're late." the familiar voice startled him out of his thoughts. He turned around and rose to his feet, "Tifa..."

She brushed her dark hair out of her face and smiled at him, "You made it."

His blue eyes shifted to the ground, "It's not Christmas anymore."

The martial artist rubbed her bare arms, "Christmas is whenever you want it to be, Cloud."

Cloud didn't answer, only rolled her answer over and over in his head. She took his hand gently and gave it a tug towards the door, "Come on. It's really beautiful out there."

Cloud followed her, unable, or unwilling, to pull his hand away. When they reached the door, Tifa opened it wide, making the little bell ring in the doorway. Instinctively, as if to shush the bell, Tifa looked up at the doorway with her finger to her lips. Upon further inspection, she noticed something else attached to the bell in the doorway. Quickly, she glanced away and shook her head of the thought. No way he would.

The swordsman didn't notice. There was something else on his mind. He turned his eyes to Tifa, "You got me a Christmas present?"

Tifa's eyes shifted to the ground, evidence of her guilt, "It's not much."

Cloud glanced down at their still-intwined hands, then up at the starlit sky, "I'm late again."

Tifa's brown eyes caught his, waiting for him to continue. His eyes darted from the sky to the ground, "I...wanted to be on time for once."

Tifa turned her body to face him, "Cloud, you came. That's all that matters."

Cloud watched her, soaking in her words. She gently smiled and tugged on his hand, "C'mon, let's go open your Christmas present."

"Tifa..." Cloud couldn't seem to say much more. She held his present out to him. After a moment of hesitation, he took it and unwrapped it neatly. When he opened the box lid, his shocked eyes showed it all. He pulled the cell phone out of the box and turned it over in his gloved hands.

She glanced at the ground, then up at him, "I know you lost your other one."

A small smile tugged at his lips, a sincerely thankful expression in his eyes. With that, Tifa smiled back at him, but turned and walked back to the open doorway. Curious, Cloud followed her. When he arrived by her side, he gave her an inquiring expression. She didn't look at him, but she knew what he was asking. She sighed and finally gave in, "I can't help feeling like you're going to leave us again, and this time, you won't come back."

Cloud didn't know how to reassure her. He had no idea what would happen in the future, but he didn't know how to tell her that how much he didn't want it to be like that. He gently touched her shoulder, causing her to instinctively face him. His eyes tried to tell her and reassure her that he wanted to stay, but she turned her eyes away. She was always so optimistic, but he could tell she was truly worried about him leaving. He wanted to make a promise, but he was afraid of breaking it.

Instead, he took a quick glance above him before bending over enough to place a soft, gentle kiss to her lips. Immediately, she closed her eyes and rested her arms on his shoulders. He tenderly caressed her lips with his. As a promise. In the only way he could think of, he made a promise. Exactly what that promise was, he didn't even fully understand. But right now, neither cared. When he softly pulled back, he searched her eyes and pulled gently out of her grasp, walking back inside. Tifa followed, unable to help but smile at the mistletoe that someone strung up on the doorway.

Tifa knew he was tired, so she offered him an extra bed upstairs. He excepted with no more than a nod, and swiftly fell asleep. Maybe Christmas wouldn't be so bad after all.

---

The dark-haired young woman awoke to the chatter and laughter of children from downstairs. When she rose from her bed, she immediately checked to see if Cloud was still asleep.

His bed was empty, but it was neatly made and a small, velvet black box sat on the pillow with a note. She picked up the note, reading to herself:

_Merry Christmas Tifa. _

_P.S. I'll be home for New Years._

Tifa couldn't shake the giddy feeling in her stomach, even if she was a little disappointed by Cloud's departure. She slowly made her way downstairs to see what the commotion was about. When she arrived at the bottom step, her eyes shot open wide.

Her Christmas present was right next to the tree, with Denzel tugging on one arm and Marlene on the other, a big red Christmas bow haphazardly stuck onto his blonde hair.

**Teheee, what did you guys think of the ending...ahaaa! Sickeningly sweet, right? HA! I love it! Man, I've been juggling chapter fics so long I almost forgot what one of those nice fluffy one-shots tasted like. I love you guys! Merry late Christmas!! God bless you and I'll be praying for ya! -Cheeseball out-**


End file.
